Nursing and other allied health graduates in call centers

It is common knowledge that many allied health graduates including nursing graduates are currently working in call centers. Apparently, call centers find use in accepting applicants from the medical field also as long as they meet the requirements.

This draws mixed reactions from different medical professionals.

Some frown upon this. For them, this should not be the case because call center jobs are completely different from the health professions.

But others welcome working in call centers especially that it provides a relatively high salary.

It entirely depends on the priority of the individual in question.

By all means, graduates of the health professions should pursue a career in line with what they trained for.

However, if they really need money and would want to start earning right away, we can't stop them from helping their families.

Found on this blog (on top and on the left side) is a graphic link to Convergys where a lot of call center agents work. They are constantly looking for personnel to work for them in the Philippines.


Feel free to click the graphic link to apply at Convergys if you or your friends or family feel like applying.

10-Year Board Exam Performance of Philippine Medical Schools

For those interested to know this especially if they have a son or daughter planning of going to medical school this year, you may want to look at this pictures. I think this was discussed during a APMC-initiated forum among medical schools. The pictures do not show all the medical schools, just some with a higher than 50% average.  Of course deciding as to what is the best medical school does not lie on Board Exam percentage alone.

These stats are from 2001-2010.

Coming Soon! The CIM Chorale Group

Christmas is in the air. Christmas carols are starting to be played in the airwaves. It is the time of year when different choir groups are singing Christmas songs.

For Cebu Institute of Medicine (CIM), Christmas starts early with the Founder's week celebration.

This year, some events will feature the performance of the CIM chorale group. Well, there's no formal name yet for the group.

It is composed, this time of students from the first year to the 3rd year along with a few CIM faculty members. Regular practices are held on Fridays from 5 PM to 7PM.

This group is no UP Madz but in Cebu, there are but a few schools not to mention, medical schools who have a choir to boast off.

Performances are expected from them this coming CIM Founder's week. Some of the songs that probably will be performed are "Carol of the Bells", "Stand by Me", "CIM Hymn" and "Moon River".

Electron Transport Chain

In this blog, it is also my mission to help out students who have difficulty understanding concepts in medical school by looking for good, easy-to-understand Youtube videos created by other educators and sharing them in this blog.

The instructional video for this week is an animation on the Electron Transport Chain (cellular respiration).

Velez College Mourns the Death of its President

Atty. Teodoro Diez, President of Velez College and one of the Board of Trustees of the Cebu Institute of Medicine passed away yesterday.

Interment will be this afternoon at 4:30 PM. Our condolences.

Atty. Diez has been one of the pillars of Velez College for many years already. Back when I was a medical technology student he was the one who handed me my diploma during the graduation rites.

Despite his stature, he was a very simple distinguished gentleman.

May eternal light shine upon you, Atty. Diez.

While up there, may you still guide Velez College to the right direction.

Neuroanatomy Educational Video on Cranial Nerves

Neuroanatomy is such a difficult subject for medical students. During my time as a medical student videos on neuroanatomy were not readily available. Thanks to Youtube, there are now several videos that make understanding neuroanatomy easier.

One example is this pair of video on cranial nerves...





Hope you learned something!

Return of mandatory ROTC in Philippine schools: Are you in favor?

ROTC: Yes or No?
 
The issue of mandatory ROTC is again alive. This 1st week of August, local news reports have circulated that the Armed Forces of the Philippines endorsed the plan of the defense department to bring back mandatory ROTC or Reserved Officers Training Corps in colleges and universities.

Since then, TV and radio programs are abuzz over the said issue. Some are in favor, citing that the present youth lacks discipline and ROTC is a good venue for discipline.

On the other hand, others are against the move since instead of discipline, corruption will be cultivated.

Other Pro-ROTC arguments:

• "Making ROTC mandatory would also increase the much-needed manpower requirements of the military in times of disaster and other service-related activities."
• "It's nice to observe male students having their hair cut short."
• " Since the ROTC was not made mandatory, the number of people aspiring to be soldiers decreased."
• “Aside from discipline, we are talking about patriotism and love of country here.”

Anti-ROTC arguments:

• "It's just a waste of time."
• "Pangwarta ra na."
• "Why would they force me, if I don't want to serve as a reservist?"

To recall, in 2002, the Philippine Congress passed a law making ROTC just optional instead of mandatory in the college level after alleged corruptions were believed to be prevalent in the program and also following a murder of an ROTC cadet in a popular university. To bring ROTC back requires action from Congress.

I went through ROTC before mandatory ROTC was abolished. At that time, I felt ROTC was just a waste of time. We were just sitting in the field, exposing ourselves to the sun mostly doing nothing, occasionally marching and consuming siopao and soda sold at higher than regular price exclusively by a certain supplier who I suspect gives a portion of the sale to "somebody in the higher chain of command of the ROTC perhaps".

Some who want to avoid the sun, volunteer as personal "transpo" of certain officers.

Those who can afford would donate electric fans or some other thing or fee to evade "sun-bathing".

I think the "little acts of corruption in the ROTC" are common knowledge among all male ROTC cadets at that time.

Yes, there were occasional lectures and even quizzes at times. There were times we are called to help control the crowds especially during Sinulog. But I cannot explain why I felt then it was generally a waste of time most of the time. While are female classmates were studying for a Monday exam, here we are forced to endure the heat doing practically nothing useful even for the country or the community.

If ROTC will be done properly minus the corrupt practices, if ROTC time will be spent wisely and something actually useful for the student and the country will be taught, perhaps I will be in favor of mandatory ROTC.

If  the same ROTC during our time will be brought back, then I think we should forget about it.

How about you? Are you in favor of having ROTC back in Philippine colleges and universities?

See related article in Philippine star online.